Kuala Lumpur: Clean is an art form

Kuala Lumpur’s 1,483-foot-high Petronas Towers.

The Malaysian National Mosque where the Kelang and Gombak rivers meet.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur, where everything is the best, the tallest or biggest in the world. Whether that is true or not is up to interpretation. One thing is certain; KL (as it is known) may be the cleanest city in the world.

   Kuala Lumpur, a federal territory, directly under the control of the Malaysian federal government, easily outdistances any other large city for the title of Mr. Clean. Graffiti? You will not find it here. Those who are caught defacing public property are punished with the loss of a hand. A little harsh perhaps, but it works as a salient deterrent.

   I traveled to Kuala Lumpur with great trepidation. Friends and family reminded me that Malaysia was a Muslim country and as an American, it might be wise to find someplace “safer” to travel. I’m glad that I did not take their advice. I found KL safe, squeaky clean and friendly — and English is the language of choice.

   I walked the streets alone at night without incident and was greeted time and time again by smiling faces. The young crowd starts partying after midnight and continues until the sun comes up over this city of more than 1.3 million people.

   KL is a modern Asian city of beautiful skyscrapers, including the Petronas twin towers (once the tallest building in the world), but it retains much of its local flavor that has disappeared in other Asian boom cities such as neighboring Singapore. KL is a mix of Moorish and modern design.

   KL has a plethora of colonial buildings in its center; a vibrant and historical Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, a bustling Little India and in the middle of the city, the oldest rain forest in the world.

   The city’s urban sprawl extends well beyond the boundaries of the territory into surrounding Selangor state, particularly along the Klang Valley — the powerhouse of the Malaysian economy, where much of the city’s workforce and industry reside.

   On my first day in KL, I took a group tour of the city with Rosli as our guide. He took us to the King’s Palace first, about a 20-minute drive from our hotel, the Ritz-Carlton.

   We arrived at the official resident of the king greeted by a ceremonial guard on Horseback. Malaysia is a positional monarchy. A king holds a five-year term. There are nine royal families in the country and they rotate the ceremonial position. Yellow is the official color of royalty. The palace is almost 50 acres and has its own golf course. The king serves as chief of police and head of the military police. The changing of the guard takes place every four hours.

   Malaysia uses the British system of government — Lower House (senate) and Upper House (representatives) of Parliament.

   In Jalan Raja Chulan, you can explore the city’s colonial core where even more structural marvels await you. These include the National History Museum, Independence Square (where the Union Jack flag was lowered and the Malayan flag was first raised after independence) and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building — the Big Ben of KL. There is a 305-foot-high flagpole where the Malaysia flag hangs. “It’s the highest flagpole in the world,” Rosli said proudly. “We like to show the world we have the tallest everything.”

   In the same vicinity lies the old cricket club, Selangor Club, with its mock-Tudor architecture, plus Cathedral of Virgin St. Mary, one of Malaysia’s oldest Anglican churches. Stroll around the area to appreciate the other old colonial buildings with their captivating Moorish designs.

   When Malaysia was a British colony, England had its information office in Independence Square. Malaysia was given its independence from England in 1957. In 1974, it became a federal territory. Close by is a building that once was a British prison but is now a police station. The British built the city’s old train station. For obvious reasons, there is still a strong English influence in Malaysia.

    Melaka was Malaysia’s name before independence. Overlooking Independence Square is the Bukit Aman (peace mountain) building. The Malaysian flag has 15 red and white stripes, representing the country’s 15 states. The blue field represents harmony, yellow is royal and the star and moon represents Islam. A memorial to Malaysia’s independence opened in August of 2002 in KL. Malaysia’s independence day is Aug. 31.

   As we drove toward Modern Chinatown, we passed a cemetery where World War II Japanese soldiers are buried. The Modern Chinatown area is called River of Money because of the business that takes place in the area. The Ritz-Carlton is in the River of Money. This is KL’s Golden Triangle. The city is in the middle of a confluence of two river mouths (Kuala Lumpur means “muddy convergence”). The Petronas is the landmark in this area.

   KL has a park where Asians had their first meeting in the city and where the Chinese go for Tai Chi exercise. The park is more than 222 acres. In the park there are 260 species of birds — the largest number in the world, according to Rosli.

   The Islamic Heritage Museum has artifacts from all over the world. At this site is the Malaysian national mosque. It was completed in 1986 for 10 million Ringetts. It holds up to 10,000 people and is generally filled on Friday.

   The two rivers, the Kelang and Gombak, head straight for the Melaka Sea. Where the two rivers join is the oldest mosque in KL, built by the British.

Old Chinatown is in the old part of KL. It was once the trading post for Chinese who came to KL during British rule. It’s always been Chinatown. They have a night market that is a beehive of activity. You can purchase knockoffs of top-name brands here. Copyright laws have become an issue, according to Rosli — especially with CDs. These knockoffs are openly sold here, not like in the states.

   The Sri Maha Mariaman Temple is the oldest Hindu Temple in KL. It’s in the heart of Old Chinatown. You have to leave your shoes outside. There is a nominal fee (20 cents when I was there) to hold your shoes. The temple is free. The Indian population in KL is about 7 percent.

   We visited Royal Selangor Pewter Factory, the largest pewter factory in the world, situated at Setapak, north of Kuala Lumpur. The combinations of 97 percent tin and 3 percent copper and antimony makes pewter. Young Peng Kai founded the factory. He developed pewter industry in KL in the 1930s and ’40s. There is still tin mining in Malaysia, but it’s no longer as profitable. The famous Royal Selangor pewter, hand-made to its perfection, is known worldwide. The factory has more than 700 skilled craftsmen producing pewter ranging from cutlery, jugs, souvenirs, goblets and more.

   Part of the process is hammering. It takes six months to learn to hammer and the lady we watched can do 50 a day. The girl doing the hammering has been an employee for more than 35 years.

   The Petronas Towers are open Tuesday through Sunday. You can go up to the observation deck or to the skybridge, which is 558 feet up.  Above that point are offices. The twin towers are 1,483 feet high and 88 stories. We had lunch at KL Tower (one of the world’s tallest towers at 1,403 feet), which overlooks the city. Four of us were wearing shorts, which is a no-no in the restaurant. They had drawstring, baggy, flowery pants for us to wear. High fashion. A KL gentleman, who does business in Allentown, PA, asked us if we got two pair free for the purchase of two pair. Everyone enjoyed a nice laugh at our expense.

  I learned quickly that the scooter is KL’s favorite mode of transportation. They are everywhere, scooting in and out of traffic.

   Malaysia has one of the most beautiful and modern airports in the world. A clean, high-speed train zips you along the countryside into Kuala Lumpur. Sunday on the way in by train, we passed some low-income housing. People had laundry hanging from their balconies, but almost every balcony had a satellite dish.

   Welcome to the 21^st century.  

If You Go

   The rate of exchange is 3.22 Ringetts to the US dollar.

   Malaysia Airlines flies from LAX to Kuala Lumpur, with a stopover in Taipei, Taiwan. Check flights and prices on www.malaysiaairlines.com.

Where to Stay

   The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur. It is the first all-butler hotel in Malaysia and includes complimentary continental breakfast served in your room. For more information, go online at www.ritzcarlton.com. The JW Marriott is on Bintang Walk in the heart of the “Golden Triangle.” Go online at www.marriott.com.

   All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.